The Swedish meatball-flavoured lollipop wasn’t an April Fools’ joke after all

Corporate news15 April 2026Last edited: 16 April 2026

After sparking global curiosity on 1 April with a playful announcement about a meatball-flavoured lollipop, Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer operating in 32 countries, and Chupa Chups, one of the world’s most iconic lollipop brands, are turning the joke into sweet reality. The two companies have joined forces to serve a limited-edition, meatball-flavoured lollipop this June in IKEA stores around the world, including New Zealand.

Chupa Chups has been busy in the kitchen developing a playful sweet that’s inspired by the flavours and feeling of the iconic Swedish meatball and its lingonberry companion. The lollipop captures the spirit of IKEA food in a new and surprising way.

“On 1 April, IKEA customers from around the world were playfully invited to imagine an IKEA meatball-flavoured lollipop, and we were delighted by the shocked reactions and conversations that it sparked with our Australian customers,” said Patricia Routledge, Country Communications Manager, IKEA Australia and New Zealand.

“On the back of the global hype, we’re excited to make it reality as a limited-edition giveaway in partnership with Chupa Chups, soon to be available in IKEA stores across Australia and New Zealand. We’re thrilled to have the rare opportunity to bring a seemingly impossible mash-up to life, with the ‘twinkle in the eye’ magic that can only be IKEA.”

In total, one million lollipops will be produced and distributed to IKEA stores around the world. However, there’s bad news for those hoping to stock up on these delightful sweets because the lollipops will not be for sale. Instead, customers will have the chance to taste them for free while visiting IKEA stores across Australia and New Zealand this June.

The collaboration fits naturally with IKEA’s ongoing focus on Cooking & Eating, where the company is spotlighting the role food plays in creating joyful, shared moments in everyday life. In Australia, that relationship with food is shaped by confidence, convenience and a love of familiar flavours, according to IKEA Australia’s latest Cooking & Eating Report.

The study shows Australians are confident home cooks, with more than half (56%) regularly cooking from scratch, well above the above the global average. At the same time, Aussies are quick to embrace smart shortcuts, with half using appliances like microwaves (58%) and airfryers (48%) to save time. Dinner is often early, fast and relaxed – frequently enjoyed away from the dining table, on the sofa or in front of the TV, reflecting a national preference for relaxed, low-fuss eating moments.

This mix of nostalgia, novelty and convenience is what makes the IKEA x Chupa Chups collaboration feel right at home. The limited‑edition meatball‑flavoured lollipop offers something playful and unexpected, while tapping into familiar flavours and childhood associations. By teaming up with Chupa Chups, IKEA is celebrating the joy Australians find in food - whether it’s through comfort, curiosity or a light‑hearted surprise in the everyday.

“When IKEA invited us to explore a lollipop inspired by their iconic Swedish meatball, we were immediately intrigued. At Chupa Chups, we are always looking for new ways to surprise and delight people – it's part of our ‘Forever Fun’ spirit. This limited-edition lollipop is our playful tribute to a flavour that people all over the world associate with IKEA, reimagined in a way only Chupa Chups can do,” said Martin Hofling, Global Marketing Manager, Chupa Chups.

Stay tuned for more information to come soon about how Aussies and Kiwi’s can taste the meatball-flavoured lollipop exclusively in-store at IKEA in June.

*This special lollipop is not an IKEA product, but the result of a creative collaboration between IKEA and Chupa Chups.